Introduction
The Pontificate of Pope Francis has been full of surprises.[1. This essay was written over the summer as an exercise in synthetic theology with a goal of better understanding and interpreting the Mind of the Magisterium. Only … [Read more...]

Three important documents have emerged in the last decade of the American Catholic educational scene: Archbishop (now Cardinal) Dolan’s clarion cry to resurrect the dying “Catholic Schools We Need,” the Diocese of Lansing’s proclamation to m … [Read more...]

In a 2016 interview that was arranged by Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., the editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, prior to the trip to Sweden for an ecumenical gathering anticipating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pope Francis expressed … [Read more...]

A Gift of Shalom

Introduction: “Rich with Joy and Peace”
St. Luke's description of Jesus' proclamation of His mission tells us that, on a sabbath day in a synagogue in Nazareth, the Lord
stood up to read ... “He has sent me ... to proclaim the accep … [Read more...]

A Guide for Catholic Preaching

In response to a request made by the 2008 Synod of Bishops, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently published the Homiletic Directory. The Directory was commissioned to assist homilists in their … [Read more...]

We are still trying to figure out the thought of Pope Francis. Examining several insights in his collection of writings and talks, entitled, Only Love Can Save Us, will help. Embedded in letters, homilies, and talks he wrote between 2005 … [Read more...]

Can you tell me what the origin is of our rights and how this relates to the laws of the state?
Pope Francis recently caused a reaction in the United States by condemning “unfettered capitalism.” Is this an innovation in Catholic tho … [Read more...]

Christian believers know the God who created the Universe ... as a person who reveals himself as Love and Gift, and Personal in his nature. Jesus revealed that the One True God also has an inner life that is not only personal, but … [Read more...]

...conversion occurs when the Gospel speaks to the deepest yearnings of our hearts, and the desires present within us are filled by a supernatural grace that comes from God.
“The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who e … [Read more...]

Jesus Christ is the center – the driving source – of the entire Exhortation. Those who have been called, and have accepted Christ are sent into their particular life’s world to spread his name, and to do it joyfully.
The sentence: “Wher … [Read more...]

In all of our lives, there are times when encouragement makes or breaks our stamina. Even when all is well, we know a deeper happiness if our efforts find appreciation.
Recently, I came across a publication of the Mayo Clinic and was … [Read more...]

Read carefully: We should see in this critique (by Pope Francis), not an embrace of socialism, or a condemnation of the market economy, but a call to adopt a different ethic for the marketplace.
Pope Francis is a Jesuit, a prelate from … [Read more...]

Evangelii Gaudium is ostensibly the Pope’s response to the Synod last October ... but it is much more than a simple reporting on what happened there. It is the outlining of the key themes Pope Francis hopes will constitute his po … [Read more...]

Statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Church urges respectful, compassionate care for pregnant women and their children. ACLU claims are “baseless” and lawsuit “misguided.”
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called a suit by … [Read more...]